Review of "Taught by God: Making Sense of the Difficult Sayings of Jesus"

I first heard from Rev. Dr. Daniel Fanous when he was interviewed on Ancient Faith Radio's "Ancient Faith Today with Kevin Allen" live call-in show. This was several years ago, and I remember being fascinated by his discussion of some of the confusing statements in the Gospels. This year I came across his Taught by God in a list of books available from St. Barbara Monastery, and I decided to purchase it. My husband, Ariel, and I really want to understand everything we read, and, in the Bible, that especially matters! We read the book together, and it was truly fascinating!

I absolutely loved the methodical way in which the author built each of his arguments. He illuminates the context of the Gospels, which modern readers struggle to understand simply because we don't live in the same time and place. While the details of the explanations could get confusing at times, the author laid everything out step by step so that I was able to follow his logical progressions. I felt like he thinks the way I do, and I found that I had a much greater understanding of a topic once I finished reading his discussion of it.

One of my favorite sections sheds light on the scene in Mark 7 and--the more detailed version--Matthew 15, when Jesus is approached by a Syro-Phoenician woman, who begs him for healing for her demon-possessed daughter. First the author describes in detail why the passage is confusing and can even cause embarrassment for Christians at Jesus's seemingly harsh response to the Gentile woman. He talks about suggestions that some people have made for interpreting the scene in a less shocking way, and he explains why he thinks those approaches miss the mark. Then, he lays out his interpretation: the Lord is giving the woman an opportunity to develop and demonstrate humility and faith, so that she can become a believer and be able to receive His healing for her and her daughter. As Fr. Fanous writes, "He seeks not to hurt a woman in need, but to bring her to glory. He places her in abandonment, and watches in amazement as the mustard seed within her becomes a majestic forest. As he insults her, his heart weeps. As she grows, his heart rejoices" (p. 115). I love that this section demonstrates how God allows struggle in our lives in His love for us, so that we can become more fully the holy people He created us to be.

I highly recommend Taught by God: Making Sense of the Difficult Sayings of Jesus for anyone who wants to think carefully through the difficult-to-understand parts of the Gospel. This book deepened my ability to connect with the Gospel text and, most importantly, with Who Jesus is, from my own time and place that are so far removed from Jesus's earthly context. I was very impressed with Fr. Daniel Fanous's work, and I am looking forward to reading more from him.

Review of "Healing Your Wounded Soul"

Healing Your Wounded Soul is exactly the book I was looking for. I participate in a reviewer group for Ancient Faith Publishing, and I have received a number of free review copies from Ancient Faith through that group. However, Healing Your Wounded Soul is a book that I purchased on my own, and I’m so glad that I did.

 

Recently, I reviewed another book from Ancient Faith, Gratitude in Life’s Trenches, and I was disappointed with that one. I was hoping it would offer an Orthodox perspective on healing past trauma and learning to approach life’s challenges in a healthier way. Gratitude did these things to a degree, but it often fell short of how deep and meaningful I wanted it to be. I felt like Gratitude tried to do too many things and address too many subjects. At the same time, the author admitted that he wasn’t an expert on the subjects that he was sharing, and he relied on his sources to provide wisdom in the book. However, it seems to me that if a person is approaching a subject as uninformed and new to the material, how will he have the appropriate discernment to know what is true wisdom that should be included in his book?

 

Fr. Joshua Makoul, on the other hand, is a spiritual father and therapist with many years of experience helping people to heal. His expert-level approach is so apparent through the gentle, understanding demeanor that he conveys and the masterful way he lays out the material of his book and guides the reader through it.

 

Healing Your Wounded Soul really strikes me as a masterpiece. Much of what Fr. Makoul writes perfectly addressed my own struggles. I repeatedly thought, “He knows exactly how I feel!”

 

The book conveys deep meaning and genuine hope. It helps the reader understand common sources of trauma, which continue to bring harm in our lives if we don’t come to terms with our experiences and bring them before God for healing. Fr. Makoul masterfully strikes a balance between generality and specificity with his examples. I often felt as though he were speaking directly to me about what I’ve gone through, even though the examples he gave were never exactly the same as what I’ve experienced.

 

I felt the love of God coming through the page and was so convinced that He brought this book into my life. I’ve been copying large sections of the book into my journal, which is not something I’ve done before! I feel compelled to write them down in order to help me absorb them better.

 

I’ve been working through some major past trauma for a long time now, and this book both affirmed the healing that I’ve experienced so far and led me toward the next stage of my journey toward wholeness. I especially appreciate how Fr. Makoul makes the book truly Orthodox by describing “this healing work,” as he calls it, as an integral part of our path of theosis.

 

I strongly recommend Healing Your Wounded Soul for anyone who wants to better understand how trauma may be affecting our lives and how, with our Lord’s help, we can choose healing and growth.

 

Review of "Gratitude in Life's Trenches"

I received a review copy of Gratitude in Life's Trenches: How To Experience the Good Life Even When Everything Is Going Wrong. 

As I read through the book, I found some parts that really spoke to me, and other parts that I wished had more depth. The book covered topics that I have been interested in for the past several years, and that influenced my reactions to the ideas that author Robin Phillips presents. I think that if I were new to more of the information, I would have found it more engaging. I believe that readers who are looking for an introduction to topics like cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness will find this book more profitable than will someone who is already familiar with these concepts. 

However, I did enjoy reading about ideas that appear in present-day therapy from an Orthodox perspective. When I've learned about these ideas from secular sources, I always test whether they fit with my understanding of Orthodoxy, and it was really nice to read the work of an author who is making those connections directly. For example, when Phillips wrote about our perceived meanings of traumatic experiences versus the "actual meaning I can have access to" (pg. 148), I appreciated that he used Bible verses to demonstrate God's truth that genuinely conquers what our feelings might tell us.

Some of the parts in the book that engaged me the most were when Phillips shared his own struggles with depression and anxiety after some major upheaval occurred in his life. I always appreciate hearing people's real-life experiences of healing and learning to process their traumatic experiences. However, I was disappointed that he seemed to leave off in the middle of talking about his own experiences, and he never came back to how he moved through the difficult time that he was in. 

Just as I was intrigued by Phillips's real experience, by the same token, I found other examples that he used less satisfying. I found that he included a lot of stories in which it was unclear whether the characters were actual people whose names he had changed, or whether they were fictional examples that he came up with. I found this distracting because stories about how people improve their lives are more meaningful and convincing to me if I know that they really happened. These examples often felt generic to me, and that made it difficult for me to connect with them.

Overall, Gratitude in Life's Trenches is a book that I hoped I would enjoy more. I think some readers will really appreciate it and find that it gives them tools for healthier ways of approaching their struggles in life. It seems to me that it works best as an introduction or overview for those who want to begin learning about topics like thinking errors, re-framing, mindfulness, and intentional gratitude. Personally, I was looking for more in-depth discussion, and it was too often the case that the book skimmed the surface but didn't delve deeper into the topics that interested me.

"You're Dwelling on Your Mistakes Again"

 "Sticky's mind returned to the nightmare he'd awakened from this morning. All those scorpions on the floor. Contrary to what others might expect, he didn't imagine they represented Ten Men.

"'You're dwelling on your mistakes again,' his mother had said to him not long ago, and not for the first time. 'It's good to acknowledge them, but I do wish you'd not forget everything you get right.'

"They'd been having breakfast in their home across the street. Sticky had just awakened from a similar dream.

"Sticky's father had nodded his agreement, which for such a profoundly quiet man was a significant contribution to the discussion. 

"'I know,' Sticky had said, taking up a glass of grape juice, then setting it down again. 'You're right, Mom. I know that. I just get so frustrated! I never see Reynie make the mistakes I do.'

"His mother regarded him with hooded eyes. 'Can Reynie do all the things you can do?'

"Sticky sighed and rubbed his scalp. 'No, I know. I just don't like making mistakes.'

"'Reynie makes his own share of mistakes, love,' said Sticky's mom. 'You just don't dwell on those. Do you know who probably does?

"Sticky pursed his lips. 'No idea. Constance?'

"They all chuckled at this.

"'Well, she probably does, too,' Sticky's mom admitted. 'And on everyone else's. But there's a reason, you know, that your father and I are comfortable with you making your own decisions. You're doing a wonderful job leading your life. We only hope you'll come to us for love and support--and maybe, sometimes, even advice. Who knows?'

"'I'll always come to you for all of those things,' Sticky had said, rounding the table to hug his parents. 'Advice included.'

"Now, in the Blab, Sticky took a deep breath and let it out. He tapped a pencil on the clipboard. Yes, he'd forgotten the chemicals on the rooftop patio, and it hadn't occurred to him to get a copy of Mr. Curtain's letter, and he hadn't thought to ask Tai about his reading abilities before scanning the letter. That was okay. He couldn't think of everything. He was who he was, and that was enough. He knew that. He believed it. And now it was time to rejoin his friends."

--Trenton Lee Stewart, The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Riddle of Ages, pp. 186-187

Becoming More People

 "'Time is a riddle, is it not?' the farmer mused, returning from the refrigerator with a jar of homemade raspberry jam. 'The last time I saw Nicholas, that ancient dog of ours was a puppy. And you know what? I remember that the two of us felt old then! So, what does that make us now?' He laughed and shook his head. 'And yet at the same time we both agreed that part of us still felt like the boys we once were--like we hadn't changed a bit.

"'And do you know what Nicholas said? I remember it plainly. He said that he doesn't believe we become different people as we age. No, he says he believes that we become more people. We're still the kids we were, but we're also the people who've lived all the different ages since that time. A whole bunch of different people rolled up into one--that's how Nicholas sees it. And I can't say that I disagree. How else to explain that sometimes I want to run and jump the way I used to--but can't anymore--yet at the same time enjoy sitting with a cup of coffee and a newspaper in a way you couldn't have paid me to do as a boy? Well, it's a wonder.'"

--Trenton Lee Stewart, The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Riddle of Ages, p.238

"To Forgive Their Tormentors"

"'To be happy at home,' said Samuel Johnson, 'is the end of all human endeavor,' but even [Tsar] Nicholas's domestic happiness was mocked in the sophisticated social circles of the capital. And yet the strength of the family's love and faith shines in every account of their steady good humor during the months when they were confined in close quarters, facing day after monotonous day, each one with twenty-four hours to be got through.

"Even the Tsar's piety and that of his family were derided, though it was deep and genuine and the source of all their other virtues. Nicholas may have placed too much confidence in the power of good to triumph in the world and been too slow to see evil even in his enemies, but as he often explained, he was so little troubled because he placed himself and his people in God's hands and trusted that his efforts would be blessed and his nation would prosper. What a test, then, when in spite of all his prayers and his trust in God's mercy, the forces of evil were winning, spoiling the costly victories of the war and ravaging his country, and he and his dearest ones were prisoners. Even in the face of such contradiction the family's faith never wavered, and as we have seen, they were able to forgive their tormentors."

 --Christine Benagh, An Englishman in the Court of the Tsar, pg. 286

The Romanovs' "Fountain of Strength"

My husband and I have been reading another book related to the Romanov royal martyrs: An Englishman in the Court of the Tsar: The Spiritual Journey of Charles Sydney Gibbes. Gibbes was the English tutor to the royal children and went under house arrest with them. Having lost his faith in the Anglican Church as a college student, he spent much of his life seeking spiritual fulfillment. Finally, fourteen years after the Romanovs were killed, he realized that in living with them he had witnessed the truth Faith that he longed for, and he decided to become an Orthodox Christian:

"[N]othing in all [Gibbes's] experience was as exalted and significant as the witness of humble faith, devotion, and courage provided by the Imperial Family he had loved and served. Quite suddenly, he saw the truth manifested in their lives: their reliance on a fountain of strength that kept them radiant even as they were buffeted, humiliated, maligned, and their bodies destroyed by the powerful enemies arrayed against them--enemies they forgave."

--Christine Benagh, An Englishman in the Court of the Tsar, pg. 251

The Kindness of Strangers

"[Nicholas] had been happy before, at least briefly so, on several occasions, and what he was feeling now was rather like that, only deeper and stranger. It was happiness amplified by hope--not just for himself, but for people in general--and anchored by something else, something he had yet to put his finger on. 

"[...] There were adults in the world who would actually make sacrifices for the sake of others--not just for their own families but for anyone who needed help. Nicholas had always had the impression that families looked after one another, and he had come to understand that, on rare occasions, children would do the same. [...] But this was different. What Mr. Harinton was doing certainly helped Nicholas--but it also simply felt right to Nicholas. It made him want to be exactly like Mr. Harinton himself.

"No sooner had he thought this than he realized what was anchoring his happiness. It was purpose. He knew what he wanted to do. He knew the way he thought things should be, and Mr. Harinton was proving that other people--even adults--could feel the same way. Nicholas had something to aim for now. He might not know what he wanted to be when he grew up, but he knew with absolute certainty how he wanted to be."

--Trenton Lee Stewart, The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict, pp. 399-400

The Softening of a Hard Heart

The following account describes an incident that occurred during the first phase of the Romanov family's house arrest, at their palace outside St. Petersburg. It illustrates the misconceptions that many people had about Tsarina Alexandra, and how getting to know her personally disproved the rumors about her.

"In one of her outings, Alexandra sat under a tree, as was her custom. Next to her sat Baroness Buxhoeveden and they were enjoying the beautiful weather. At one point, however, the baroness rose for a bit, when suddenly a soldier sat heavily next to Alexandra with a hostile growl. 'The Empress,' writes Buxhoeveden, 'edged a little bit away [so that her visitor might sit more comfortably], making a sign to me to be silent, for she was afraid that the whole family would be taken home, and the children robbed of an hour's fresh air.

"'The man seemed to her not to have a bad face, and she was soon engaged in conversation with him. At first he cross questioned her, accusing her of "despising" the Russian people, of showing by not travelling about that she did not want to know Russia. Alexandra Feodorovna quietly explained to him that, as in her young days she had had five children and nursed them all herself, she had not had time to go about the country, and that, afterwards [when they had grown], her health had prevented her. He seemed to be struck by this reasoning and, little by little, he grew more friendly. He asked the Empress about her life, about her children, her attitude towards Germany, etc. She answered in simple words that she had been a German in her youth, but that that was long past. Her husband and her children were Russians, and she was a Russian too, now, with all her heart. When I came back with the officer, who seemed a decent man, and to whom I had risked appealing, fearing that the soldier might annoy the Empress, I found them peacefully discussing questions of religion. The soldier got up on our approach, and took the Empress' hand, saying, "Do you know, Alexandra Feodorovna, I had quite a different idea of you? I was mistaken about you." It was the more striking because this man was the deputy of the soviet. When he came on guard the next time he was quite polite'" (The Romanov Royal Martyrs, pg. 268).

"If You Find That Serpents Are All You See, You May Not Be Looking Hard Enough"

The passage below comes from Book 2 of my favorite series by a living author, The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart. It describes one of the core messages of this phenomenal book.

"'You mean to say,' said Mr. Benedict after reflecting a moment, 'that you're disturbed by the wickedness of which so many people seem capable. [...] It's natural that you feel as you do, Reynie. There is much more to the world than most children--most adults--ever see or know. And where most people see mirrors, you, my friend, see windows. By which I mean there is always something beyond the glass. You have seen it and will always see it now, though others may not. I would have spared you that vision at such a young age. But it's been given you, and it will be up to you to decide whether it's a blessing or a curse.'

"'Excuse me, Mr. Benedict, but how can it possibly be a blessing to know that people are untrustworthy?'

"Mr. Benedict looked at Reynie askance. 'Rather than answer that, allow me to call attention to the assumption that you're making--the assumption that most people are untrustworthy. Have you considered the possibility, Reynie, that wickedness is simply more noticeable than goodness? That wickedness stands out, as it were? [...] Have you ever had a dream in which, having spied a deadly snake at your feet, you suddenly begin to see snakes everywhere--suddenly realize, in fact, that you're surrounded by them? [...] It strikes me as being rather like when a person first realizes the extent of wickedness in the world. That vision can become all-consuming--and in a way, it, too, is a nightmare, by which I mean that it is not quite a proper assessment of the state of things. ...If you find that serpents are all you see, you may not be looking hard enough'" (The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey, pp.36-38).

Listening to "Apostle to the Plains: The Life of Fr. Nicola Yanney"

I think I've decided that my favorite type of Orthodox book is the kind that gives as much information as possible about the lives of saints. Whenever I read the paragraph-long lives of saints that appear in places like The Prologue from Ochrid, I always have so many questions! There are so many saints about whom we know just bits and pieces, a few small facts about how they lived and often the most about how they died. I am always hungry for more details, all the elements of a saint's story that added up to a life of becoming more and more like Christ.

Imagine my delight, then, when on the same day I received two such books: an audiobook review copy of Apostle to the Plains: The Life of Fr. Nicola Yanney and, in the mail, a book ordered by my husband just a few days before, The Romanov Royal Martyrs: What Silence Could Not Conceal. We are still reading and loving the second; this review is about the first, which I so enjoyed listening to while doing chores over the course of a week.

Fr. Nicola is a person whom I think every Orthodox Christian in America should know about! His story opened my eyes to many aspects of American Orthodox history that I had never heard about. I didn't know what it was like for a young man living in a small village in Lebanon in the late 1800s, or what he would have experienced immigrating to America in a steamship with his new wife, Martha. Learning about the experience of immigrants made me think about how blessed I am to be born in a country with religious freedom and access to opportunities. As a newly-married nineteen-year-old, Fr. Nicola left his home not because he wanted to, but because he couldn't safely raise a family there. He knew he would probably never be able to return to his beloved homeland. The book describes the difficult two-part sea voyage and the tense wait to see if he and Martha would pass inspection at Ellis Island and be deemed healthy enough to enter America. I felt like I was recovering pieces of American history that I really should have known about.

I was intrigued by how much detail The St. Raphael Clergy Brotherhood was able to compile to tell the story of Fr. Nicola's experience in Nebraska, as a peddler and then a farmer, and finally as a missionary priest with a massive territory (nearly all of the middle third of the contiguous U.S.). His story reminds readers of the gift it is to have a priest and an established parish in our own towns. He and his family spent years without any opportunity to see a priest, to go to confession, to receive Holy Communion, or to have their children baptized. The Yanneys were finally visited by the future bishop and saint, Fr. Raphael, on their remote homestead, when he baptized their children and stayed for a few days to offer church services and give the sacraments to the local Syrian Orthodox community. In the following years, they again had no access to a priest, since Fr. Raphael was based in New York and was traveling all over the U.S. to find the scattered Syrian Orthodox people. When Fr. Nicola's wife, Martha Yanney, tragically fell ill and then died in childbirth, she was not able to receive the sacraments or have an Orthodox funeral, because there was no priest. These experiences of having so little connection to the Church were formative for Fr. Nicola. 

When his community all agreed that he was the best candidate to become their priest, Fr. Nicola was ordained by the newly consecrated Bishop Raphael of Brooklyn. In accepting ordination, he assumed a life of incredible self-sacrifice. While a single father with four still-young children, at Bishop Raphael's request Fr. Nicola began serving not only his local community in Kearney, Nebraska, but the Syrian Orthodox people throughout numerous Mid-Western states. After years of pouring himself out, he literally gave his life for his flock when he contracted the Spanish flu while confessing and communing ill parishioners, during the pandemic of 1918.

With the publication of Apostle to the Plains last summer and now its availability as an audiobook, we have the huge blessing of access to an in-depth look at Fr. Nicola's life and ministry. It was a treat to listen to the audiobook, because I love being read to while I work around the house. I'm very picky about narration, and I thought the read-aloud style of this recording was well done. The reader's straightforward manner doesn't distract from the text, allowing it to take center-stage. More importantly, the reader demonstrates an obvious respect for Fr. Nicola. 

While I am glad to have the audiobook version and am already listening to it for a second time, I am planning to purchase the hard-copy version of the book, as well: I want to be able to reference it easily, and I want to see how names are spelled and have the full experience that comes with reading a book. As you can see, I highly recommend Apostle to the Plains!

You can find it here as an audiobook: Apostle to the Plains Audiobook
And here from Ancient Faith Publishing: Apostle to the Plains Hard Copy

Grief Can Lead to Hope, Strength, & Wisdom

In the early pages of J.R.R. Tolkien's masterpiece, The Silmarillion, he describes the Valar, powerful beings who govern the world as servants of the One God (named Eru in Tolkien's mythos). I am intrigued by the description of the Vala named Nienna and the role that she plays to care for the world:

"[Nienna] is acquainted with grief, and mourns for every wound that Arda [the earth] has suffered.... But she does not weep for herself; and those who hearken to her learn pity, and endurance in hope.... [S]he brings strength to the spirit and turns sorrow to wisdom."

Blessed Feast of St. Tikhon!

This Tuesday I am sharing a picture instead of a quote. Today is the feast day of St. Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow and Enlightener of North America. Interestingly, a book that I ordered just arrived in the mail today, and it happens to include a real-life (colorized) photograph of St. Tikhon:

The book is one I mentioned a few posts ago:

And I am eager to start reading it!

The Romanov Family: An Example for Our Time

I had the great blessing to be featured on Ancient Faith Radio's program "Everyday Orthodox" this past Sunday night! Each episode of the show is an hour-long interview with an "everyday Orthodox person." I had so much fun being interviewed (even though I admittedly was so nervous beforehand and definitely consider myself to be more of a writer than a speaker!). I so appreciate host Elissa Bjeletich inviting me onto the show! My episode, and all previous episodes, are available in podcast form at www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/everydayorthodox.

I've been going back and listening to earlier episodes, and I found one in particular that I want to talk about here. My main point is to say, "Go listen to the episode!" But, I thought I would offer some commentary here as to why I recommend it, and hopefully encourage you to listen by doing so!

On February 9th of this year, Elissa interviewed a scholar named Nick Nicholson. In an unusual turn of events, the program was not mostly about Nick himself, but rather about a famous family: the Romanov Royal Martyrs, the last Russian tsar and his wife and children. Nick was a consultant in the production of a new book called The Romanov Royal Martyrs: What Silence Could Not Conceal, and he came on "Everyday Orthodox" to talk about what the book has revealed about the Russian royal family. According to the official description of the book, it "draws on letters, testimonies, diaries, memoirs, and other texts never before published in English to present a unique biography of Tsar Nicholas II and his family. The work aims to present the Royal Martyrs through the prism of their spiritual grandeur and the purity of their souls. A lively portrait of the royal family emerges from their own personal writings and in the writings of those who lived very close to them" (from the product page at Eighth Day Books' website, www.eighthdaybooks.com).

Several points struck me as I listened to this episode. Right now, many in the U.S. and around the world are required to stay home with their families to stop the spread of the novel corona virus. As a result, many families have an unusual opportunity to spend more time strengthening their relationships and praying together. Toward the end of their lives, the Romanov family was confined to house arrest together at the hands of the Bolshevik government. But even from the beginning of Nicholas and Alexandra's marriage, the two of them prioritized their children. Alexandra's main desire was to focus on caring for her children, rather than participating in courtly affairs or being in the public eye. After sincerely converting to Orthodoxy before her marriage to the Russian tsar-to-be, she viewed the Orthodox Christian faith as the center of her life, and she strove to instill the faith in her children. The family always attended daily services together, and, when they were eventually placed under house arrest, they continued to worship in their home, just as we are being called to do today.

The faith of the Romanov family supported them during incredibly trying times. Thus, they are an example to us as we face fear and uncertainty surrounding the corona virus. The saintly family clung to God, and He gave them strength even as they experienced the overthrow of their government and their confinement in Siberia. Ultimately, they understood that their execution was approaching, and they piously prepared themselves to go to the Lord.

The podcast has so much more to say about the example that this holy royal family has left to us. I was fascinated to learn the details of their life of faith. Their story was mostly new to me; I knew they were saints in the Orthodox Church, but I didn't really know why. I'm so glad to have become acquainted with them so that I can begin to know them as members of my spiritual family and ask for their intercessions.

Holy Passionbearers Nicholas, Alexandra, Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, and Alexey, pray to God for us!